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Georgia or Saint Louis? How to pick 8 vs. 9 matchup in 2026 March Madness bracket originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
As it's intended, no seeding matchup in March Madness is tougher to decide than No. 8 vs. No. 9.
For the 2026 NCAA Tournament, over in the Midwest Region, one of those 8 vs. 9 matchups will be the Georgia Bulldogs vs. Saint Louis Billikens — an SEC vs. Atlantic 10 matchup that sees Mike White's squad take on a conference champion.
The two headliners will be Georgia guard Jeremiah Wilkinson and Saint Louis center Robbie Avila, with the winner advancing to face top-seeded Michigan.
Here's your guide to picking No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Saint Louis in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
MARCH MADNESS HQ:Live NCAA bracket | TV schedule | Printable bracket
Georgia vs. Saint Louis odds
The Bulldogs open as the favorite against the Billikens in the first round, according to DraftKings. Georgia is making its second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, but it hasn't reached the second round in any of its last four appearances.
Here are details of the game, including betting odds, time, TV and venue:
- Odds: Georgia -2.5
- Date: Thursday, Mar. 19
- Time: 9:45 p.m. ET
- TV: CBS
- Arena: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, New York
STREAM:Watch Georgia vs. Saint Louis live with Fubo
Georgia (22-10, 10-8 in SEC)
Mike White has Georgia in the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back years for the first time since 2001 and 2002. The Bulldogs were overmatched by Gonzaga in the opening round last year, but there is hope for at least one win this time around.
Georgia hasn’t had a truly bad loss since mid-January, largely handling business against inferior competition down the stretch, particularly at home. The offense is the driving force behind this team. The Bulldogs enter the big dance averaging nearly 90 points per game, a top-5 mark in the nation, with California transfer Jeremiah Wilkinson leading the way but plenty of depth around him.
This Georgia team gives itself many more opportunities than last year’s squad, which wasn’t nearly as successful offensively. The Bulldogs are top-50 nationally in rebounds and top-30 in offensive rebounds. They aren’t the most efficient team from 3-point range, but they take enough 3s on a given night that they still put up impressive numbers. Wilkinson is the focal point of the offense and can score from all over, but 6-11 Somto Cyril and 6-9 Kanon Catchings can bully an opposing frontcourt that doesn’t have the size to match.
Georgia is second in the nation in blocks, and Cyril is the reason: his 2.3 blocks per game are among the SEC’s leaders, while reserve big man Justin Abson only plays short spurts but averages 5.7 blocks per 40 minutes.
Georgia can block shots and force turnovers, but opponents are still averaging close to 80 points per game. Some of that is just the result of pace, but the defense is worth considering, particularly against any team that might be able to take the Bulldogs out of their fast-paced rhythm in the NCAA Tournament. With that being said, Georgia seems better equipped to handle the moment than it was a year ago even if this is still a young team. -Dan Treacy
- NET ranking: 33rd
- KenPom ranking: 32nd
- Quad 1 record: 6-7
- Quad 2 record: 6-2
- Quad 3 record: 1-1
- Quad 4 record: 9-0
- Offensive efficiency ranking: 16th
- Defensive efficiency ranking: 80th
Key players
Jeremiah Wilkinson, G, So. (6-1, 185): 17.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.6 spg
Blue Cain, G, Jr. (6-5, 190): 13.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.7 apg
Somto Cyril, C, So. (6-11, 260): 9.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.3 bpg
Marcus Millender, G, Jr. (5-11, 180): 11.9 ppg, 4.0 apg, 39.3% 3-pt
Kanon Catchings, F, So. (6-9, 190): 12.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 39.6% 3-pt
SN AWARDS: All-America team | Player of the Year | Coach of the Year
Saint Louis (28-5, 15-3 in Atlantic 10)
Robbie Avila’s March Madness moment is here. After he and Indiana State were denied the chance to dance in 2024, he left no doubt this season by leading the Billikens to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.
Make no mistake: Saint Louis is not a one-man show, despite Avila’s fame. Josh Schertz worked the portal like a power conference coach last spring and built one of the nation’s deepest teams. The Billikens have a nine-man rotation loaded with players who shoot the ball well. Saint Louis leads the country in 3-point percentage, with Trey Green shooting better than 46 percent from deep and Virginia transfer Ishan Sharma not far behind.
Saint Louis blends continuity and high-level experience. Four rotation pieces transferred down from power conference programs, while three – including Avila – are carried over from last season. That combination tends to win in March. So does size. The Billikens might lack conventional big men, but only two rotation pieces are shorter than 6-5. To no surprise, they rank top-15 nationally in rebounds per game.
Defensively, Saint Louis is holding opponents to less than 29 percent from 3-point range and only 36.9% overall, the top mark in the nation.
A lack of high-level competition in the Atlantic 10 is one valid concern surrounding Saint Louis, and the Billikens have had some turnover issues that could show up against tighter defenses in the NCAA Tournament. Teams that thrive from 3-point range are always risky in March, when defenses play with more energy and the pressure is real, but Saint Louis has the size to do damage from close range well.
What’s clear is that shutting down Avila no longer means shutting down this team, and the right kind of shooting performances from Saint Louis could put a trip to the second weekend on the table. The same sluggish starts from these last couple of weeks, however, could doom the Billikens. -Dan Treacy
- NET ranking: 30th
- KenPom ranking: 41st
- Quad 1 record: 2-1
- Quad 2 record: 6-3
- Quad 3 record: 6-1
- Quad 4 record: 13-0
- Offensive efficiency ranking: 51st
- Defensive efficiency ranking: 42nd
Key players
Robbie Avila, C, Sr. (6-10, 240): 12.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.1 apg
Trey Green, G, Jr. (6-0, 168): 11.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 45.7% 3-pt
Dion Brown, F, Sr. (6-3, 180): 11.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.5 apg
Amari McCottry, G, So. (6-6, 205): 10.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.8 apg
Quentin Jones, G, So. (6-5, 170): 9.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.9 apg
SN EXPERT BRACKETS:DeCourcy (Arizona) | Bender (Michigan) | Iyer (Arizona) | Gay (UCLA women)
Georgia vs. Saint Louis prediction
As far as No. 8 vs. No. 9 matchups go, they're bound to be close, but it's hard not to go with Georgia in this one.
The Bulldogs have consistently beaten the teams they're better than this season — seven of their nine losses are Quad 1. They lean on offense to win games, with Wilkinson leading the way out of the guard rotation, but with center Somto Cyril Jr., Georgia also has the necessary size to prevent Aliva from feasting for Saint Louis; the Bulldogs also have a massive advantage in the shot-blocking department, averaging 6.1 per game.
If 3s aren't falling for Georgia, it's easier to see a path to victory for Saint Louis. The Bulldogs' defense can be lackluster, as their 80th-ranked defensive efficiency indicates, so a hot night for the Billikens could help them advance.
However, coming out of the SEC, Georgia is far more experienced against top-notch opponents, including wins over Alabama and Arkansas this season. The 6-foot-10 Avila, the Atlantic 10's Player of the Year, will be a fun March story. But the pick here is Georgia, thanks to its strong offense, Cyril's defensive presence vs. Avila, and a lot more games against top teams in 2025-26.
HISTORY OF UPSETS BY SEED:
16 vs. 1 | 15 vs. 2 | 14 vs. 3 | 13 vs. 4 | 12 vs. 5
History of 8 vs. 9 upsets in NCAA Tournament
Just about every year, you can expect multiple nine seeds to advance past the first round. Saint Louis will be looking to join the list.
In last year's NCAA Tournament, Creighton and Baylor both moved on as No. 9 seeds. Here is the recent history of the times when the No. 9 seed has upset the No. 8:
| Year | Result |
| 2025 | Creighton 89, Louisville 75 |
| 2025 | Baylor 75, Mississippi State 72 |
| 2024 | Northwestern 77, Florida Atlantic 65 |
| 2024 | Michigan State 69, Mississippi State 51 |
| 2024 | Texas A&M 98, Nebraska 83 |
| 2023 | Auburn 83, Iowa 75 |
| 2023 | Florida Atlantic 92, Memphis 84 |
| 2022 | Memphis 64, Boise State 53 |
| 2022 | TCU 69, Seton Hall 42 |
| 2022 | Creighton 72, San Diego State 69 |
| 2021 | Wisconsin 85, UNC 62 |
| 2019 | UCF 73, VCU 58 |
| 2019 | Baylor 78, Syracuse 69 |
| 2019 | Oklahoma 95, Ole Miss 72 |
| 2019 | Washington 78, Utah State 61 |
| 2018 | Alabama 86, Virginia Tech 83 |
| 2018 | Kansas State 69, Creighton 59 |
| 2018 | Florida State 67, Missouri 54 |
| 2017 | Michigan State 78, Miami 58 |
| 2016 | Butler 71, Texas Tech 61 |
| 2016 | Providence 70, USC 69 |
| 2016 | UConn 74, Colorado 67 |
| 2014 | Pittsburgh 77, Colorado 48 |
| 2013 | Temple 76, NC State 72 |
| 2013 | Wichita State 73, Pittsburgh 55 |
| 2012 | Saint Louis 61, Memphis 54 |
Dan Treacy contributed to this article.
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